Girls getting stipend

HETAUDA: A total of 17,174 girl students studying in 390 primary schools in Makawanpur District are receiving scholarship of Rs 250 each per month through their respective schools, the District Education Office (DEO), Makwanpur, said. The underprivileged girls and others living in the family below poverty line have been selected from all the primary schools in the district and the office is providing Rs 9,37,500 every month, the office said. A total of 2,474 Dalit students studying in the schools are also receiving Rs 3,42,000 as Dalit scholarships provided by DEO. — RSS

Mysterious death

TULSIPUR: Ram Lal Chaudhari, a resident of Halwar-6 in Dang, was found dead in his house on Sunday. The 21-year-old was said to have deserted the Salyan Barrack of the RNA and come home a few days ago. Security sources in the district quoted family sources as saying that the cause of Chaudhari’s death could not be ascertained. — RSS

Bus service to Lhasa

Lalitpur: A Nepali team under joint secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management (MoLTM) Dinesh Hari Adhikary left for Lhasa in a chartered helicopter on Sunday to review the often-interrupted Kathmandu-Lhasa direct bus service. The team includes executive director of Sajha Yatayat Mukunda Raj Satyal, officiating director general of Department of Transport Management Deepak Subedi, technical director of DoTM Sharad Adhikary, section officer of MoLTM Dil Bahadur Baniya and section officer at the Finance ministry Jeevan Baskota. —HNS

Arrest condemned

POKHARA: Nepal University Teachers’ Association Valley Coordination Committee (Pokhara) on Monday condemned the arrest of professors, including its central president Doctor Bhupati Dhakal. The professors were arrested while they were defying prohibitory orders. In a statement, the committee also demanded their immediate release. It said the King had no option but to hand over the sovereignty to the people. It also urged the political parties to go ahead with a common agenda and not make any agreement against the wishes and sentiments of the people. — HNS

Voters’ list update

MAHOTTARI: The District Election Office, Mahottari, has started updating the voters’ list. Work for the same started on Sunday as part of the regular exercise of the Election Commission to update the list every year, District Election Officer, Yubraj Dahal, said. All secretaries of the 76 wards have been appointed Assistant Name Registration Officers for the purpose, he said. Names of citizens aged 18 years and above and those of new persons coming to the district through matrimony or permanent migration will be put on the list. — RSS

109 donate blood

DHADING: Some 109 people took part in a blood donation programme on the premises of the Shree Machhindra Higher Secondary School at Naubise VDC on Saturday to mark New Year. The programme was jointly organised by the Leo Club of Peace, Khanikhola, and the Nepal Red Cross Society Blood Transfusion Centre, Kathmandu. — RSS

Peon found dead

MAHENDRANAGAR: A peon at the Kanchanpur Customs Office, Ram Datta Bhatta, 45, was found dead in front of the office on Saturday morning. Black and blue marks were visible on his cheeks. — RSS